Cadre théorique. Dans un contexte transitionnel sénégalais, inscrit dans une interface bioculturelle, il est important d'évaluer l'impact de l'urbanisation sur le développement de la surcharge pondérale, mais aussi sur ses conceptions socioculturelles et son ressenti psychosocial en mutation. Méthodologie. Pour ce faire, nous avons réalisé une première enquête qualitative par focus group et une seconde étude qualitative par entretiens semi-directifs (dans l'agglomération de Dakar et à Gandiaye dans le communauté rurale de Thiomby de la région de Kaolack) au sein d'un échantillon représentatif de la population sénégalaise adulte, vivant dans l'espace wolophone du centre du pays ; puis une troisième étude quantitative comparative entre la région de Kaolack et l'agglomération de Dakar. Résultats. Sur le plan qualitatif, le gros n'est plus associé à la richesse (nourriture/alimentation), au bien-être (mort-maladie/santé) et à la puissance reproductive (sexualité/esthétisme) ; mais à l'oisiveté (nourriture/alimentation), la dysfonction (mort-maladie/santé) et l'indésirabilité sexuelle (sexualité/esthétisme). Sur le plan quantitatif, une augmentation significative de la surcharge pondérale se dessine, avec une valorisation sociale de l'embonpoint comme l'un de ses facteurs de risque. Puis, les modèles esthétiques modernes se véhiculent, avec une envie de maigrir associée à une mauvaise estime de son apparence. Conclusion. Les Sénégalais passent d'un régime où le corps soumis à un culte animiste del'énergie vitale ne pouvait qu'être exposé à la maigreur, à un régime où le corps soumis à un culte moderne de la raison ne pourra qu'être exposé à la grosseur. / Theoretical framework. In a Senegalese transitional context, expressing itself by a biocultural interface, it is important to assess the impact of the phenomenon of urbanization on the development of overweight, but also on its social and cultural conceptions and its psychosocial feeling in a changing process. Methodology. To do this, we first conducted a qualitative focus group survey and a second study by qualitative semi-structured interviews (In the city of Dakar and at Gandiaye in the rural community of Thiomby from the Kaolack region) in arepresentative sample of the senegalese adult population living in the wolophone space from the center of the country ; and a third comparative quantitative study between the region of Kaolack and Dakar agglomeration. Results. By the qualitative aspects, we note that the big person is no longer associated to wealth (food/diet), well-being (death-disease/health) and reproductive output (aesthetics/sexuality), but to idleness (food /diet), dysfunction (death-disease/health) and sexual undesirability (aesthetics/sexuality). By the quantitative aspects, we note a significant increase of overweight with a social valorisation of overweight as a risk factor to the development of this syndrome. In addition, the modern standards of body are spreading, thus, the desire to lose weight is associated with a poor esteem of its appearance.Conclusion. The Senegalese leave a model where the body subjected to an animist cult of vital energy was mostly exposed to thin, for a model where the body subjected to a modern cult of reason will be mostly exposed to overweight.

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This thesis explores the ways in which the body is positioned within consumer society. The development of body ideals in Western societies is examined in order to point out consumers’ occupation with appearances and their bodies as signifiers of success. The three case studies (A&F, Calvin Klein Underwear and fitness magazines) will enable a close analysis of contemporary society and its engagement with the body. I argue that today the body acts as a signifier for people’s narcissistic obsession with the surface, and that the body itself has come to exhibit characteristics of a commodity in consumer society.

This thesis deals with problems of biological and cultural determinants influencing perception of beauty. It attempts to find out if there is a common biological basis of perception of beauty or if beauty represents merely a sociocultural construct - product of a specific culture. With respect to biological determinants it concerns biological processes significantly influencing perception of beauty. In this context, these processes include probably innate evolutionary adaptations, effects of brain cognitive systems and neural correlates processing perceptions of beautiful objects. In connection with cultural determinants it presents studies emphasizing cross-cultural differences in perception of beauty. Further subject of the thesis is an aesthetic conception of subjective and objective beauty and related concept of beauty based on mathematical relations. In this connection, the creation of universally beautiful objects based on fixed mathematical rules as well as the possibility of exact measurement of beauty are discussed.